When Two Worlds Collide
by TrueLoveAlways16
Summary: Hollywood Heights fanfic. Eddie/Loren. Loren's life, months after winning Eddie's contest, changes in more ways than one. Lots of Eddie/Loren fluff.
1. Chapter 1

When Two Worlds Collide

"She was scared

Unprepared.

Lost in the dark.

Falling Apart,

I can survive,

With you by my side.

We're gonna be alright.

This is what happens when two worlds collide."

AN: hey guys! I know I'm definitely not the best at updating stories, but I've recently fell in love with a new show called Hollywood Heights! I've wanted to write one pretty much since the show began. This is just my version of how everything plays out. It's a little AU, I'm just going to warn you.

Loren Tate was used to being in the background. In fact, she practically _lived_ in the background until she met Eddie. After winning Eddie Duran's song writing contest, the two quickly became friends. Not long after that, he kissed her. Eddie made her feel like she was no longer in the background. Ever since, the two have been inseparable. Her life couldn't get any better. But it could definitely get worse.

"It's so quiet," Loren commented, looking around the club. She felt Eddie squeeze her hand and turned back to him.

Eddie laughed, "It usually gets that way at," he paused to check his watch, "three-thirty in the morning."

Loren's eyes bulged, "Three-thirty? Mom's going to _kill_ me."

Eddie raised his eyebrows and patiently waited for her to remember. Loren's mom had gone out of town on a trip with her fiancé, Don Masters. Don had proposed a few months ago and the couple was planning their wedding when Don decided they both needed a little break from all the planning... and also their kids. Although Loren was warming up to him, she still had her doubts about his intentions. Loren's face went from worried to relaxed in a matter of seconds.

"Oops," Loren laughed embarrassedly, her cheeks turning bright red, "I totally forgot that she's out of town."

She had almost forgotten what day it was, because she was so tired. Jake had both Eddie and her working around the clock on their albums.

Eddie grinned; he really did love it when she got all flustered around him.

"I suppose I'll forgive you, for a price." Eddie laughed at Loren's shocked face, putting his hands up in mock surrender, "A kiss. I meant a kiss."

Loren rolled her eyes, but kissed him anyway. The two pulled back after the sweet peck.

"Tonight was amazing." Loren said, gazing into Eddie's eyes, "you were amazing."

Tonight had been a special evening for the Duran's. It was Max's birthday and Eddie, with the help of his girlfriend, had surprised him with a party, in his own club. Not only that, but Eddie performed a special song for his dad. Eddie looked away, not wanting her to see him blush. Despite his not so subtle attempt, she saw.

"Aw, is the little rockstar getting embarrassed?" Loren teased, giggling a little at Eddie's attempt to look masculine even though his face was bright red.

He grabbed her playfully, intertwining their hands. He was laughing embarrassedly, but happily as he replied, "Little? I'm twenty-two years old. I'm hardly what you would call _little_."

Loren stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend, causing him to playfully gasp at her.

"Loren Tate, that is no way for a lady to act," He teased, pulling her closer to his body.

"Oh yeah? Well how is a lady supposed to act?" Loren whispered, suddenly feeling very shy about being this close to Eddie, even though they have been dating for months.

Eddie just grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek. Loren blushed, causing Eddie to grin even more.

"Hey, lovebirds," Max Duran laughed at the expression on their faces from across the bar, "thanks for everything. I still don't know how you managed to pull the wool over my eyes. In my own club, no less."

The couple reluctantly pulled away, but remained close as they walked towards Eddie's father.

"Ah, you know we can't tell you. What if we want to surprise you again?" Eddie laughed, pulling his father in for a hug, "Happy Birthday, Pop."

"Thanks, Eddie," Max patted his son on the back before they both pulled away, "And thank you, Loren, for everything."

"Like I would miss out on coming to the hottest club in LA," Loren joked, causing the two men to laugh, "Besides, I wouldn't miss your birthday. Happy Birthday, Mr. Duran. I hope you had a great one."

"Loren, how many times have I told you—" Max started, causing Loren to interrupt.

"Okay, okay... Max," Loren laughed, "Happy Birthday, _Max_."

"Thank you," Max laughed, smiling warmly at his son's girlfriend before they shared a hug. Although he had had doubts before about Eddie and Loren's relationship, he soon learned that there wasn't any reason for the two to not be together. In fact, they sort of reminded of him and his late wife. Just the other night, he gave Eddie his blessing. He had almost forgotten what it looked like to see Eddie so happy.

The two pulled away and Max said goodbye and he made his way to his apartment above the club.

"So now what?" Eddie asked, putting his hand in hers as they walked out of the club.

Loren shook her head, "You're unbelievable, you know that? You got up early to work on some new songs; you threw your father the best surprise birthday party until the early morning hours. Now you ask what's next? I'm beginning to think you don't ever have time to sleep."

Loren had noticed the bags under his eyes a few days ago, but didn't say anything until now. It worried her how much Jake pressured Eddie about writing new songs.

"I'm fine. I get plenty of sleep," Eddie replies, as if reading her mind. Loren scoffed, not believing him. He gently pulled on her hand to get her to stop walking, "I just don't want to say goodbye yet."

Loren's face softened, squeezing Eddie's hand in awe, "You're sweet."

They shared a kiss, but it quickly turned passionate. Finally, Loren pulled away, desperately needing air. The two stood there for a moment, smiling at each other. Unfortunately, the moment wouldn't last long because both heard a car's tires squealing. They both turned, but the car was nearing and Loren could tell it would hit Eddie if he didn't move.

"Eddie, move!" Loren shouted, pushing him out of the way.  
Eddie was forced backwards by Loren's push, not really understanding what was happening because it was all happening so fast. Just as soon as she pushed him out of the way, the car slammed into Loren's side. Eddie watched helplessly from the ground as Loren was thrown onto the top of the car, until moments later the car finally slammed on the breaks. Loren rolled helplessly onto the ground, unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

When Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 2

AN: Wow. So many reviews for the first chapter! Thank you so much! :) Anyway, here's the next chapter!

It took Eddie a few seconds before he realized what had happened. But when he did, he went straight to Loren.

"Loren!" Eddie shouted, jumping up and running to his girlfriend's side.

Loren groaned, her head rolling from the right to the left side.

"Eddie?" She muttered, obviously not in her right mind, but at least she was calling for him.

"I'm here, I'm here, Loren." He replied frantically, taking her hand in his. His mind raced back to his mother's untimely death in a car accident, but shook his head to get rid of the thought. That wouldn't happen to Loren. It just couldn't.

"Eddie," Loren called out again, but this time painfully, her face scrunched up in pain.

He held her hand tighter, "It's going to be okay, Loren. It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine."

Whether he was trying to convince her or himself, he wasn't really sure. He kissed her hand then yelled for someone to call 911.

It had been two hours and the waiting was nearly killing Eddie. He called Loren's mother, his father, and Loren's friends. Loren's mother, Nora, got on the first flight out, but she still wouldn't be able to get there until late tomorrow. His father, however, had just stepped out of the elevator when he saw his son. Eddie looked like a mess. His hair was disheveled and when he looked up, Max would tell his son had been crying. Max quickly made his way to Eddie.

"Hey, how is she?" Max asked, obviously worried about both his son and his son's girlfriend.

"They-" Eddie got choked up a little but cleared his throat, "they haven't told me anything. It's been two hours and I know nothing."

Max just nodded and said comfortingly, "That's okay, they probably just want to make sure what's wrong before they tell you." He put a hand on Eddie's shoulder, "Why don't we go get some coffee?"

Eddie immediately shook his head, "No, I don't... What if she..."

Max felt sick to his stomach at what Eddie thought would happen to Loren, "Eddie, she'll be alright. She's a strong girl, she's going to make it through this."

Eddie said nothing, but sat down and put his head in his hands.

"I should have just taken her home," Eddie muttered, looking up at his father, "then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Max sat down and put a hand on Eddie's back, "This isn't your fault, you know that, right?"

Eddie shrugged, looking more like a child than the adult rockstar that Max and the entire world knew him as.

"Don, I have to go. Loren's in the hospital." Nora was packing her stuff quickly, hoping to get to the airport in time.

Don frowned, leaning on the doorframe, "What? What happened? I hope she's okay."

Nora shook her head, stuffing more clothes into the suitcase, "Eddie said something about a car accident, but I couldn't really understand him. He kept breaking up. Signal here kind of sucks."

"Sorry about that, I kind of chose this place so no one would bother us," Don moved towards her, helping her move her now fully packed suitcase off the bed onto the floor.

Nora sighed, running her hand through her hair and looking back to Don, "I'm just so worried about her, Don. What if she..."

"Don't think about that," Don interrupted, "I'm sure she's fine. We'll go right away."

Nora nodded, smiling slightly as Don pulled her closer and they shared a quick kiss. Don went to pack his stuff, leaving Nora to sit and worry about her only daughter.

"The plane leaves in thirty minutes, have you got your stuff packed?" Nora asked, tugging on her suitcase and making her way towards the door.

Don nodded, holding up his single bag in his hand, "Yeah, I'm good to go. Let's hurry, I bet traffic's going to horrible tonight."

The couple made their way out the door and headed towards the airport. They didn't know that this would be the last time they would ever get to spend together. Once they got on that plane, there was no going back.

"Mr. Duran?"

The young woman doctor stepped into the hallway, chart in hand.

Eddie immediately stood up and asked, "How is she?"

"Well, Ms. Tate was very lucky. It could have been much worse. We think she hit her head on the windshield pretty hard. Also, she has broken ribs and a broken leg, and while she is a little beat up, everything else is fine. We do, however, want to keep her tonight for some tests."

Eddie and his father exchanged nervous glances. Tests usually meant that something was wrong.

"Some tests? What kind of tests?" Eddie immediately asked.

"It's nothing to worry about, just a precaution. Like I said, we believe she hit her head pretty hard on the windshield but as far as we can tell there's nothing to worry about. We'll let you know if anything changes," the doctor responded.

"So, she's going to be okay?" Eddie asked, a smile gracing his lips.

The doctor smiled at Eddie to reassure him there wasn't anything to worry about, "Yes, but she'll need plenty of rest and no singing until those ribs heal which could take at least 4-6 weeks but it varies from person to person. She should be able to check out tomorrow morning."

Eddie nodded, relieved to hear the good news, "Got it. Thanks, doctor. Now, can I see her?"

The doctor nodded and led the way to Loren's hospital room. Max followed, but stopped just outside her door.

"I'll let you spend time with her, okay? I'm going to get some coffee."

Eddie smiled tiredly, "Thanks, Dad."

Max smiled back and patted him on the back before turning to go to the cafeteria. Eddie watched Max walk away for a second before putting a hand on the knob and walking into Loren's room. Loren's face was a lot more bruised than Eddie remembered, but she was the girl he loved. He stopped himself, loved? Did he love Loren? He watched as she blinked and opened her eyes.

"Hi," She whispered, and suddenly Eddie felt like the happiest person in the world. That's when he knew. He loved Loren Tate. He let out a sigh of relief and walked to the side of her bed.

"Hey, gorgeous," He whispered back, kissing her cheek gently before sitting down in the chair next to her bed. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He felt that if he did, she might not be there anymore.

Loren didn't say anything at first, but looked around the room all the same, "What... what happened?"

She attempted to sit up, but her ribs protested. She bit her lip to bite back a groan.

"Easy there," Eddie immediately stood up and helped Loren lay back down, "You were in a car accident. Your ribs are broken."

Loren just nodded, blinking back tears of pain as she was lowered back. She let out a sigh of relief when her ribs finally stopped hurting as much as they did. Eddie caressed her face with the tip of his finger, causing her to close her eyes. It was insane how much she loved him. Not as Eddie Duran the rockstar, but Eddie Duran the man. Eddie sat back down, just looking over all the bruises that Loren's face now had.

"Thanks," She whispered, not having the energy to talk any louder. She could feel the drugs taking a hold of her, because her eyes were drooping, but she didn't want to sleep. She wanted to talk to Eddie. She wanted to tell him she loved him.

Eddie, sensing this, smiled and said, "There will be plenty of time for talking. You need your rest."

Loren didn't even bother protesting, finally giving into the drugs and letting her eyes shut. Just before she fell asleep, she turned her hand upwards for Eddie to hold. When he grabbed it, Eddie could see her visibly relax and let herself fall asleep.

Not too long later, Max knocked quietly on the door of Loren's room before entering. He sighed when he saw Eddie asleep by the side of Loren's bed, holding her hand tightly. He quietly made his way back out of the room.

The sun was brightly shining when Loren woke up. She opened her eyes then immediately regretted it. The bright sun started to make her head throb so badly she just wanted to go back to sleep. Groaning, Loren squeezed her eyes shut, putting a hand up to her face to shield the light. She heard a knock on the door and took a deep breath before answering. She winced when her ribs reminded her that she should not be doing that.

"Hey, I brought you some-" Eddie grinned, but frowned when he saw her facial expression, "what hurts?"

Loren shook her head, and then realized that made her head hurt even worse. She bit back a groan, not wanting Eddie to notice how much pain she was in.

"Nothing hurts, the sun's just a little... bright." She winced when she tried opening her eyes again and immediately squeezed them shut.

Eddie put the food down before quickly closing the blinds, "Better?"

Loren opened one of her eyes and sighed, "Much better, thank you."

"You're an easy girl to please," Eddie teased, causing Loren to laugh, which in turn caused her to wince.

"Ow, don't make me laugh," She groaned, gently touching her ribs.

Eddie looked at her with such concern and guilt, it made Loren's heart ache, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Loren shook her head, looking up at him, realizing that he was apologizing for more than just the open blinds, "Eddie, this wasn't your fault. None of it is."

"I should have just taken you home," He blurted; he needed her to know how sorry he was and how it all could have been avoided if he had just taken her home, "then this wouldn't have happened."

That's when Loren noticed how completely broken Eddie looked. His hair, which she had never seen messed up, was disheveled from running his hands through it so many times. It was his eyes that got her, though. His eyes had turned a slight red, which she knew meant that he had been crying. He had only cried in front of her once, and that was a few months ago, just after they started dating. They had been talking about his mom's car accident. And now, Loren saw the same eyes she saw then; exhausted, overwhelmed, afraid.

"Eddie," Loren said softly, shaking her head, "It _wasn't_ your fault. You weren't the one driving that car."

Her eyes pleaded with him, begging him to believe her. Eddie shook his head, running a hand through his hair anxiously. She wondered how many times he had done that that night. _Probably way too many_, Loren thought to herself. Loren motioned for him to come towards her. Eddie sheepishly walked his way over to her bedside.

"Bend down," She ordered, and he obeyed.

Loren pulled at his neck, making him come closer until her lips touched his. After a few seconds of kissing, Loren pulled away, breathless. Her ribs aching, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Eddie.

"Now do you believe me?" Loren asked, Eddie noticed the sparkle in her eye and laughed.

"If I say no, can we do that again?" Eddie joked, causing Loren to smile and attempt to not laugh.

Loren shook her head at him, sighing as she traced the dark circles under his eyes with the pad of her thumb.

"I'm fine," Eddie argued, knowing exactly what she was going to say. He took her hand away from his face and kissed it before holding it in his as he sat down.

Loren rolled her eyes, "Eddie, you should go home. Get some sleep."

"I got plenty of sleep here. Do you know how long you were out? Long enough for me to sleep and then finish writing my album." Eddie joked, grinning at her as if she wouldn't notice how completely exhausted he was.

"Eddie, I'm being serious." Loren sighed, "You need to go home to an actual bed. I'll be fine."

"Look, this makes me feel better, alright? I feel better when I have my eyes on you. You think if I go home I'll be any better? I'll just be even more worried about you than I already am because I won't have you in my line of vision," Eddie raised his eyebrows at her, not even attempting to hide his smile as she blushed.

"Well, I don't know, I mean I guess you..."Loren mumbled, blushing furiously at the thought of Eddie being worried about her.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought, not that it was actually going anywhere, but still. It was Loren's nurse, Amanda.

"Hi, sorry to interrupt, but the doctor wants Loren to go down for some tests."

Loren looked worriedly at Eddie, then back to the nurse, "Tests? What tests?"

She automatically was thinking the worst, but Eddie pulled her out of those thoughts by grabbing her hand and kissing it.

"The doctor just wants to check your head, that's it," Eddie assured her, looking into her eyes to make her relax.

Loren almost melted with relief, smiling gratefully at Eddie. Without Eddie, Loren would probably be going crazy with worry about the tests. He always knew exactly how to calm her down.

"Okay, let's go then," Loren let Eddie remove her covers for her, because her ribs were still aching even more than they were when she woke up. To Loren's surprise, Eddie swiftly lifted her out of bed, without hurting her, and placed her into the wheelchair. _My hero_, Loren thought to herself, a tired smile on her lips.

"Is it sad that I already want a nap just from moving from bed to the wheelchair?" Loren said, briefly closing her eyes before making herself open them again.

"Hey, now, I did all the heavy lifting!" Eddie joked, making both Amanda and Loren smile and laugh.

Loren frowned, hugging her ribs a little, causing Eddie to whisper an apology in her ear before kissing the top of her head.

"It's perfectly normal, I assure you," Amanda smiled at Loren, making sure she was all settled in. She glanced at Eddie to see him kissing her on the cheek and whispering that he would be waiting for her to get back. Loren whispered something back and Eddie grinned as he stood back up to his normal height. Even Amanda could see that he had it bad for this girl. Eddie wheeled Loren out into the hallway with Amanda holding open the door to Loren's room.

"Can I wheel her down there?" Eddie asked, once they were all in the hallway.

Loren looked up at that, smiling slightly to the nurse.

"Nope, sorry. I really don't want to lose my job, not even for Eddie Duran himself," Amanda joked, causing Eddie to laugh.

"Eh, it was worth a shot. I figured I wouldn't be able to."

Loren frowned a bit, feeling a bit jealous of this nurse slightly flirting with her boyfriend. She looked down and played with her robe until Eddie bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" He whispered, kissing her again on the cheek.

She just nodded, suddenly not feeling very talkative. Eddie noticed nothing, but watched Amanda wheel Loren towards the elevators.


	3. Chapter 3

When Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 3

AN: Hi guys! Thank you soo much for all the kind reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story as much as I am writing it! When you're done, review and let me know what you think! Read on : )

When Don and Nora got on the plane, neither suspected that anything would go wrong. In mid flight, many hours later, Nora was asleep with her head on Don's shoulders. The plane suddenly dipped, causing Nora to wake up. The plane went back to normal height, so Nora went back to sleep. Not too long after, the plane dipped again, but this time it didn't go back to its original height. Instead, the plane just kept dropping in height. It seemed as if it was literally falling out of the sky. Air masks were released abruptly, causing people on the plane to wake up.

"Don," Nora frantically shook him awake, "the plane's going down,"

It took Don a couple of seconds to comprehend what his fiancé was saying, but once he did his eyes grew wide.

"The plane's going down?" He repeated, looking around him and seeing people freaking out just as much as he was about to.

The overhead speaker crackled and then a voice spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid that our plane is," it crackled again, and the lights even went out.

"Don, I love you," Nora yelled above all the noise, causing Don to pull her in for a long kiss.

"I love you, too, Nora," Don replied, kissing her nose.

"I have to call Loren, tell her I love her," She explained, she knew she didn't have much time. Nora dug around in her purse before quickly pulling out her cell phone and called Loren, hoping she wouldn't pick up. She didn't want her to answer as they were crashing, Loren would be terrified. She just wanted to leave her daughter with a piece of her, even if it was a voicemail. Thankfully, her daughter didn't answer. The tone beeped and Nora spoke clearly into the phone above all the people screaming. Nora held Don's hand as she saw out the window that they were headed straight for the ocean.

"Loren, just know that I love you and I'll miss you. You have become an amazing young woman who will do great things. Whether your future involves music or not, I just want you to know how proud of you I am. I love you," Nora's phone call was interrupted by the sound of the plane crashing into the water.

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Loren had apparently fallen asleep during testing because the next thing she knew she was being lifted from her wheelchair back into her bed. She looked around, confused, then fell right back asleep. Eddie laughed, turning to thank Amanda.

"It's no problem," She smiled politely at him before taking the wheelchair and exiting the room.

Eddie heard Loren's phone vibrate and went to turn it off so she wouldn't wake up. He kissed her forehead before settling back down in the chair.

"Go home," Loren muttered, turning her head towards him, but keeping her eyes closed, "at least go shower."

"The girl is right, you look like a mess,"

Eddie turned to face the door, "Chloe? What the hell are you doing here?"

That got Loren's attention. She opened her eyes and unfortunately saw Chloe Carter standing in the doorway of her hospital room.

"I heard about the accident," She walked into the room, looking around, "I wanted to see how you were holding up."

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one," Loren retorted, "you don't care about me."

"That's true," She laughed, looking Loren right in the eyes, "I only care about Eddie."

Eddie rolled his eyes, "Just get out, Chloe. As I've said before, we are never getting back together. Don't make me call security."

"You wouldn't do that," Chloe remarked, "You don't have the guts."

"He might not, but I do," Max snapped, walking into Loren's hospital room, "Sorry, Loren for this intrusion. Chloe, Loren's hurt. You need to leave."

Loren smiled gratefully at Max before glancing at Eddie. When her and Eddie had first started to date, she had her doubts. She thought he would go running back to Chloe the first chance he got. Fortunately, he proved her wrong.

"I just wanted to see—" Chloe started, but just as she did Eddie immediately pulled out his phone.

"Leave. Now, Chloe," Eddie held up his phone, "or security will throw you out."

Chloe huffed, muttering something crazy (as usual) before stomping out of the room.

"Loren, I'm so—" Eddie started, but before he could finish Loren was shaking her head.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know she was coming. It's fine, Eddie," Loren smiled at him to reassure him that she was fine.

"Well, it won't happen again. I'll tell security," Max said, walking closer to Loren, "So, how are you feeling Miss Loren?"

"Like a million hammers are pounding on my head, but other than that... I'm fine." Loren put a hand to her head, "Do you think I could have something for this? It's really killing me."

"I'll go ask the nurse," Eddie immediately walked out to find Amanda.

While Eddie was out of the room, Loren took this moment to talk to Max. Maybe his father could tell him to go get some decent sleep instead of in a crappy hospital chair.

"Max, do you think you could—"

Max laughed, as if he knew what she was going to ask, "Loren, I have as much say so in what Eddie chooses to do as you do. He's stubborn, just like his mother."

"I know, I've tried telling him that he's not to blame and that he should go home and get some rest," Loren sighed, "I can't get through to him on either subject."

"I think he'll be better once you get out of the hospital... when things return to normal. He'll understand that you'll be alright once he isn't constantly reminded of it, you know?" Max replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

"That makes sense, I guess." Loren's stomach interrupted her, causing both her and Max to laugh, "I guess I'm a little hungry."

"I can go get you something," Max moved to walk out the door.

Loren shook her head, "No, that's okay, I have some food here."

She moved forward to reach the sack of bagels sitting on her side table. She let out a groan and moved back into her pillow.

"I keep forgetting," Loren laughed softly.

Max smiled at her, handing her a bagel that was sitting on the plate in front of her," I know the feeling. I broke my ribs once and kept forgetting all the time. It's a lot harder to remember than anyone would think."

Max and Loren talked for a few minutes, and then Eddie came in with the doctor.

"Hey, Loren, how are you feeling?"

Loren smiled politely at the doctor, "My head kind of hurts, but other than that I'm okay."

"That's perfectly normal. We'll get you some Advil." The doctor jotted some things down on her notepad before looking back at Loren, "Well, I got your results from your tests and everything looks perfectly normal. But there is something I need to discuss with Loren privately."

Loren shared a look with Eddie, "Whatever it is, they can hear it."

The doctor looked slightly uncomfortable before shaking her head, "I'm afraid I need to discuss this with Loren first, then if she says it's okay, I'll share with you two."

"Oh, okay," Eddie kissed Loren's cheek, muttering for her to not worry before leaving the room with Max.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Loren asked, sitting up very carefully while eyeing the doctor.

"No, it's not you. I'm afraid that this is about your mother," the doctor paused, watching as Loren's face went from worried to confused, "The hospital recently got news that your mother and her fiancé were involved in a plane crash. They went crashed into the ocean. I'm afraid there have been no survivors."

With those words spoken, Loren's entire world came crashing down.

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Eddie and Max went back into Loren's hospital room to find her sitting in her wheelchair. She was looking out the window; the blinds were open.

"Loren?" Eddie asked, approaching her with ease.

Loren didn't turn her head towards him, not wanting to tell them. Not wanting it to be true. But she had to face it. Her mother was gone.

"The doctor told me," Loren said softly, so softly that both Eddie and Max almost didn't hear, "that my mom's plane crashed."

Eddie and Max exchanged horrified looks.

"Do they know where?" Max asked carefully, bending down to Loren's level.

Loren shook her head, finally turning to face them, "Somewhere in the ocean. There... there weren't any survivors."

She quickly turned away, hand over her mouth as she quietly cried and mourned for her mother. Eddie and Max were speechless, neither knowing why this happened to Loren.


	4. Chapter 4

When Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 4

"I can't believe he just threw me out," Chloe huffed, pacing her apartment, "like I didn't mean anything to him."

Chloe's mother, Jackie, rolled her eyes at her daughter. Chloe loved being dramatic, especially when it came to Eddie. She seriously needed a wake up call. Eddie was with someone else; she wasn't ever going to get him back.

"Chloe, you lied to him multiple times and then cheated on him. What did you think was going to happen?" Jackie exclaimed, ignoring the menacing look that Chloe was sending her, "You seriously need to get over him. He's already moved on."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "With that little kid? Yeah, right. I bet he doesn't even love her."

Jackie stood up, shaking her head at her daughter, "She's eighteen years old, hardly a child. Besides, he wants her, Chloe. Not you, but that Loren girl."

Chloe huffed, dropping down to sit on her sofa. Life just wasn't fair. Sure, she had lied and manipulated Eddie, but that didn't mean that she didn't love him. She had to find a way to break them up. There was no other option.

"Uh-huh, I know that look. You're ignoring everything I'm saying and trying to figure out a way to break them up, aren't you?" Jackie groaned, her daughter turned out to be the most spoiled girl in the world. Jackie could still read her mind, though. If she couldn't have Eddie, then nobody could.

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Loren sat in her bed, just staring at the ceiling. Eddie and Max were getting something to eat from the cafeteria, after much convincing from Loren. She needed a little time alone to process the news. A knock on the door interrupted Loren's thoughts.

Surprisingly, it wasn't either Eddie or Max. It was Melissa.

"Melissa!" Loren cried out, suddenly not wanting to be alone anymore. Her tears that she had been trying so hard to get rid of, fell down her face as Melissa rushed into her room.

"Oh, Loren! Thank goodness you're alright!" Melissa hugged her friend, unaware of Loren's hurt ribs.

"Ow," Loren laughed, "You're squeezing a little hard, Mel."

Melissa immediately let go, apologizing furiously. Loren gently laid back into her pillows, smiling softly at her friend.

"It's okay," Loren said softly, "I'm fine."

Melissa frowned, taking a good look at Loren before asking, "What's wrong? There's nothing wrong with you is there?"

Loren nodded her head, tears free falling from her face. She still couldn't believe the news. It was still so hard to process.

"Lo, you're scaring me," Melissa said after a few minutes of Loren not saying anything.

"I'm sorry," Loren mumbled, "It's just really hard to tell you because that makes it real. It was hard enough telling Eddie."

Melissa sat down, "Are you... are you pregnant?"

Loren rolled her blurry eyes, blushing, "No! Melissa, me and Eddie haven't... yet."

Melissa looked a little shocked, a smirk on her lips. She desperately wanted to make a joke, but something about Loren's expression made her hold her tongue for once. Whatever this was, it was serious.

"My mom was in a plane crash," Loren finally said, looking at Melissa with tears still falling, "there... there weren't any..."

Loren finally broke down in sobs, hands over her face. Her ribs ached with pain, but the pain in her heart was so much worse. Her mother was gone forever and she couldn't do anything about it. Melissa, shocked, sat back and took in the information for a few seconds before she got in the bed with Loren and held her friend gently.

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"Are you hungry?" It was a nurse this time; Melissa had been long gone. She hadn't wanted to leave, but Loren insisted she was in good care with Eddie and also the nurses. She had a feeling that Eddie wasn't going anywhere that night.

Loren nodded, "A little, but I think Eddie's bringing me something."

The nurse smiled before quickly exiting the hospital room. Loren sighed, knowing that she was now on her own. Sure, she had Eddie, Max, Adam, and Melissa, but it wasn't the same. They each had someone to help them. Adam and Melissa had both of their own parents. Eddie had Max. She had no family. The door opened, but it wasn't the nurse. It was Eddie.

"Hi," Eddie said softly, "I brought you some soup."

He set down the soup onto the moveable tray. He quickly adjusted Loren's bed before sliding the tray towards her.

"Thank you," Loren replied, eagerly taking the spoon and taking a sip of the soup. She nodded with approval before eating a few more bites. Eddie sat down in his designated seat beside Loren's bed. Loren put the spoon down, looking at Eddie.

"It's really good," Loren commented, nodding towards the soup, "for cafeteria food, anyway."

Loren ate her soup in silence; neither of them knowing what they should say. Loren put her spoon back in her now empty bowl and gently sat back against her pillows.

"Do you have my phone?" Loren asked, looking up at Eddie and watching as he bent to get it from the bedside table, "I want to see if Adam called me or anything. He was out of town with his parents."

"Here it is," Eddie handed her the phone, "I turned it off because you were sleeping."

Loren gave him a soft look, which Eddie recognized. He leaned in and kissed her gently before returning back in his seat. Loren turned on her phone and it wasn't long before it let out an obnoxious sound signaling that it was on. Loren sent an apologetic look towards Eddie; she had turned it up loud so she could hear it in the club. She didn't want her mom to call and miss it.

"One missed call and a voicemail," Loren muttered, clicking some buttons before looking right up at Eddie, "It's from my mom."

"Loren, you don't have to do that right now," Eddie said softly, "If it's too—"

Loren's brain was racing; what if her mom never even got on the plane? What if the voicemail was from her saying that she would be late getting back to LA? The rational side of her knew that it was probably not logical, but she couldn't help but hope her mother hadn't gotten on that plane. Loren didn't voice her idea, but she did interrupt Eddie when she put the phone up to her ear to listen to the voicemail.

"_Loren, just know that I love you and I'll miss you. You have become an amazing young woman who will do great things. Whether your future involves music or not, I just want you to know how proud of you I am. I love you" _

Loren kept the phone up to her ear, frozen as she listened to screams.

"What was it?" Eddie asked gently, not wanting to scare her.

Loren put the phone down, not even looking up as she told him, "My mom left me a voicemail, right before she... I could hear the screams of everyone around her. I..."

Loren broke down into tears, not caring that Eddie saw her cry for the millionth time that night. Eddie immediately got into bed with her and held her for the rest of the night.

Days passed quickly for Loren, although she never did get much sleep. She could picture her mother on the plane with the sounds of those poor people screaming on her voicemail. Loren shakily ran a hand through her hair as she looked in the mirror. Today was the day she had to put her mother to rest. Tearing up at the thought, Loren was thankful she had gotten waterproof mascara. The doorbell rang and she knew it was Melissa. It was time. Once at the funeral home, Loren could tell that everyone was staring at her. She took a deep breath, not wanting to just completely fall apart in front of everyone. Melissa wheeled her up to the front and putting her wheelchair on the end of the pew. Loren smiled gratefully at Melissa, despite all of the sadness and depression inside of her. The service was beautiful, just as Nora would have wanted. After an hour of regular service, Loren and Melissa headed out to the burial service, which was just for close friends and family.

Melissa wheeled her up to the front and muttered something about Adam.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

Loren just nodded, having not spoken at all the entire day. Melissa could read her mind anyway, so it wasn't like she needed to talk.

Loren caught sight of her mother's casket and almost hyperventilated. _I can't do this_, Loren thought to herself, _It's too much_. She was about to have an emotional breakdown when she saw Eddie and Max. Eddie gave her a look, one she was sick of seeing by now but it meant so much more coming from him. He was sympathetic, knowing exactly how she felt.

"Hey," Eddie said softly, "How are you holding up?"

Loren looked down at her shaking hands; she couldn't stop wringing them she was so terrified. Before she could say anything, Eddie sat down and covered her hands with his own. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, just shaking her head and letting a couple tears fall.

"I can't do this, Eddie," Loren whispered, finally voicing her fears she had been feeling all day, "it's too hard."

"I'll be right here, okay?" Eddie finally replied, squeezing her hand, "I know this is hard, but I'll be here."

Loren nodded, not saying anything. Not too long later, Loren watched as her mother's casket was lowered into the ground. She felt her heart break all over again. She felt the tears come, but she couldn't stop them at this point. Her vision blurred, but she could feel Eddie squeezing her hand, letting her know that he was still there for her, even though her mother was gone now.

"It was a beautiful service," Loren had heard that phrase over and over again. She never thought she would get tired of hearing it, but she definitely was. She muttered a thank you for coming and watched as the guests filtered their way out of the cemetery. She almost broke down, but then she saw Melissa and Adam walking up towards her and knew she had to be brave.

"Thanks for coming," Loren felt awful that those were the only words she could think of to say. She had barely said anything to her best friend all day yet those are the words she said.

Melissa nodded, smiling softly, "If you need anything, you call me, okay?"

Melissa had never seen her friend so broken-hearted. She knew Loren was trying to hide it, but she could tell. She could also tell that she needed some space to let down her guard, so both her and Adam got ready to leave.

Loren nodded, letting both Melissa and Adam hug her before they walked away. She waited until after everyone had left to completely fall apart. She cried so hard it left both her heart and ribs aching. It left her wondering if her heart would ever heal from the pain of losing her mother. Loren took a deep breath to calm herself and wiped her eyes, sensing someone was coming towards her.

"Loren," a voice gently called, causing her to stop wiping her eyes and look up. It was Max and Eddie.

Loren smiled softly, feeling their worried eyes on her. She muttered, "I'm okay... I'm okay."

"No, you're not," Max said gently, bending down to be on her level, "but that's okay. It's okay to break down, Loren. You don't have to be brave for us."

Loren couldn't stop herself after hearing Max's words. Max held onto her hand, knowing how hard this was for her. Loren broke down for the second time, but this time, she knew she wasn't alone. Eventually, she stopped crying and looked up at both Eddie and Max and smiled gratefully, "Thank you. I really needed that."

Max nodded, "I know you've heard this a million times, but... my door's always open, okay?"

Loren nodded, "Thank you, again."

Max stood up, leaving the two young people alone. Eddie took his father's place, bending down to be on Loren's level. Loren let out a shaky breath, reaching out for Eddie's hand.

"I'm exhausted," Loren finally spoke, "will you take me home?"

Eddie nodded, kissing her hand before replying, "Anything for you,"


	5. Chapter 5

Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 5

Eddie took Loren to his place, but Loren politely refused to go in there. She wanted the comfort of her own bed after the long, painful day she had. Eventually, Eddie gave in, never being able to say no to Loren. They sat and talked for a while about everything, the car wreck, who they think caused it, and even Nora's funeral. Eventually Eddie helped Loren into comfortable clothes, which caused Loren's face to become bright red, before sitting her gently in her bed.

"Thank you," Loren smiled softly at her boyfriend, "for everything."

Eddie had been unbelievably great the past few days. He helped her move some of her stuff into Melissa's house, where she stayed until the funeral. He even helped her plan some of her mother's funeral, especially when she would just space out and couldn't make a quick decision. She would have Melissa bring her stuff by later; she knew it was time she had to start staying at the house until she figured out what she was going to do with it.

Eddie's eyes softened, caressing Loren's cheek before kissing her, "You don't have to thank me."

Eddie made a move to leave, but Loren pulled on his hand. He turned back around; his raised eyebrows indicated that he was curious as to why she did that.

"Stay?" Loren meant for it to sound strong, but it still came out as more of a whisper than anything else.

Eddie nodded, crawling around her to get to the other side. Loren sighed, laying her head on his chest.

"You should get some rest," Eddie said softly, rubbing her arm as he spoke.

Loren looked up at him, "I couldn't sleep very well last night. Memories just kept flooding my brain. I couldn't stop thinking. By the time I realized that I hadn't gotten any sleep, it was like four-thirty in the morning. So, I just stayed up."

Eddie sighed, holding her a little tighter. Just as soon as he closed his eyes, Loren spoke again.

"Do you want some more comfortable clothes?"

Eddie smiled tiredly, he had been up all night worrying about Loren, "Thanks, but I don't think I could fit in your clothes, Lo."

Loren rolled her eyes; loving the playful banter instead of the sad talk she had been accustomed to all day.

"Adam actually left some clothes here a few weeks ago, but he keeps forgetting them. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Loren lifted her head from his chest, letting him get up from the bed.

She told him where the clothes were located and rested her head on the pillow as he went to change in her bathroom. Eddie came out, his funeral clothes in his hands and set them on the dresser before making his way to Loren.

Loren couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry," She laughed, "but his clothes are so much shorter."

Eddie smiled, loving hearing her laugh. He climbed into bed, rolling his eyes until he heard her stop laughing. She had a solemn look on her face, wringing her hands, a sign that she was worried about something.

"It's okay to laugh," Eddie said softly, "It's okay to be _happy_, Loren."

Loren looked up at him, not even saying a word. She gently moved herself so she was lying on his chest so she could hear his heartbeat.

"I could stay like this, you know." Loren muttered, eyes finally closing as she drifted off to sleep.

Eddie smiled to himself, pulling Loren a little closer before he too fell to sleep.

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For several days, visitors came and told Loren how much they would miss her mom, bringing casseroles along with them. Loren had smiled politely, but secretly wished they would all just stop coming. Their bringing food was nice, but it just reminded her that her mom was gone. Loren finally just stopped answering the door, having grown tired of having to explain what happened. Loren was sitting in the living room, thinking about what she should do with the house. She couldn't afford it on her own, even with the money her mom had left her. Her job at the coffee shop definitely couldn't pay for it.

"I'm back with dinner. Look who I found." Mel had been staying with her the past few days, helping her get dressed and getting her dinner. Loren had been really grateful for everything.

Loren looked up, smiling when she saw both Eddie and Adam entering behind Melissa.

"Hey, guys," Loren greeted, "Sorry, it's a little messy. I can't really move around and Mel doesn't really understand the concept of cleaning."

"You know I could spit in your food right now, right? I could totally do it." Mel joked.

The boys laughed, Adam following Melissa to the kitchen while Eddie sat down on the couch.

"Hey," Eddie gently kissed Loren before pulling away, "how's it going?"

Truthfully, it wasn't going well at all. Loren felt like she had to be brave in front of Melissa because she didn't want to scare her like when Eddie had gone missing. However, now she had to suppress the urge to scream, hit something, cry and not have to be so brave anymore. She felt like at any moment she could explode, but obviously, she didn't tell anyone that. Not even Eddie. So, when he asked her how it was going, she quickly avoided his question.

Loren shrugged a little, "It's been okay. Um, hey, I got to ask you something. Do you know a good realtor?"

Eddie's eyebrows raised, "A realtor?"

Loren nodded, "I've been thinking about what I want to do with the house, but there isn't really a lot that I can do with it. I don't really have the money to pay for it."

Before Eddie even opened his mouth, Loren knew that he would offer to loan her the money. She immediately shook her head, "No, Eddie. I... think it's time to just let go."

"Here's dinner!" Melissa came pouncing into the living room with a tray of Loren's food.

"Why are you so peppy tonight, Mel?" Loren squinted at her friend suspiciously, picking up her fork and pointing it at her, "You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

Mel laughed, "Of course not, what do you take me for?" Loren gave her a look, which made Mel roll her eyes, "Not today anyway, alright?"

Melissa strutted back into the kitchen to get her and Adam's food ready. Loren and Eddie laughed at Mel's antics; she was quite the character.

"Yum, Chinese food," Eddie commented, looking at Loren's dinner.

Loren nodded, having not really eaten much at lunch, but she still wasn't hungry. She moved the food around on her plate a little bit, causing Eddie to take notice.

"Hey," Eddie said softly, "are you sure nothing's wrong?"

Loren looked up from her plate, "I just don't really feel like eating, that's all."

"Are you sure that's it?" Eddie questioned, not believing Loren's story at all.

"It's just, " Loren put down her fork as she spoke and looked to Eddie, with tears in her eyes, "I don't really know what to do anymore. I don't feel normal. I feel like this is all a dream that I'm going to wake up from, but... the pain reminds me that it's not."

Eddie's facial expression softened, moving closer to his girlfriend. He caressed her cheek before kissing her softly.

"Loren, it's all going to be okay," Eddie comforted her, putting his arm around her.

Loren shook her head, no longer feeling sad, but feeling angry, "What if it's not?"

She angrily turned away, not wanting anything to do with the food in her lap or her boyfriend at the moment. She didn't know why, but all she just wanted was to be alone. Away from her friends, away from Eddie. She needed to do some serious thinking and crying. She couldn't pretend to be brave anymore, like she had been the past few days. It was eating her alive. Eddie raised his eyebrows at her in surprise; Loren hardly ever got angry with him.

"Anyone up for a movie? I'm in a cheesy romantic comedy kind of mood." Melissa came bouncing into the living room, unaware of what was going on until she sat down and looked at the couple on the couch.

Loren put her fork down on her plate, "I think I'm just going to go to bed. I'm exhausted."

Eddie started to help her but Loren shook her head subtly and asked Melissa to help her. Melissa put down her dinner and helped Loren get into her wheelchair before wheeling her towards her bedroom.

"What was that about?" Adam asked, sitting in Loren's empty seat.

Eddie shrugged, "I'm not really sure. She's just going through a rough time."

Adam nodded, not saying anything about how when Loren got hurt, she tried to push away those closest to her. He didn't want to see that happen to Eddie, but he didn't want to get in the middle of it.

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AN: hope that was worth the wait! I have a little bit of writer's block, but don't worry! I will start updating sooner!


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